Japanese ram whale protest ships: Sea Shepherd

Japanese ram whale protest ships, says Sea Shepherd - The West Australian

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says a Japanese whaling ship has rammed its two protest ships, and one has taken on water.

Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson, in a posting on his Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon, claimed the Nisshin Maru had rammed both the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker, “but both vessels continue to hold their positions. The Bob Barker is taking on water in their engine room.”

They are in the Southern Ocean, north of the Australian Casey Research Station.

Speaking from aboard the Steve Irwin, Watson told 3 News the Bob Barker, with 38 crew aboard, was hit a number of times as they tried to stop the Nisshin Maru from refuelling, which he says is illegal in the Southern Ocean.

“(It) has lost power, toppled the main mast, smashed up the deck.”

A mayday has been issued but the crew had managed to stop water from coming in, he said.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible for responding to maydays in that part of the ocean.

The authority is in the process of responding.

Capt Watson said the Japanese ship had also struck the Korean-owned fuel tanker, the Sun Laurel.

The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research could not be reached for immediate comment, but last week it said the Bob Barker had tried to sabotage Japanese research vessel Nisshin Maru and Yushin Maru No.2 as they tried to transfer a whale between the two ships.

The confrontation comes the same month the US Supreme Court upheld an injunction ordering Sea Shepherd to keep away from Japanese whaling ships in the Southern Ocean.

Former Ausralian Greens Leader Bob Brown, who is now a director of Sea Shepherd Australia, said the Federal Government must send the navy to Antarctic waters.

“This is a gross breach of international law by the Japanese,“ Dr Brown said.

“I'm calling the Australian government to dispatch naval vessels now - not just to film the slaughter of the whales by the Antarctic fleet but to restore international law.